'Alive in Baghdad' Asks Iraqis Who They Would Elect

John Cleese wants to see Obama win, the internet and the Economist are finding out who the world would vote for, but which US presidential candidate would the the Iraqis elect? After enduring five-and-a-half years of US liberation/occupation/military campaigns, Alive in Baghdad asks local Iraqi citizens and politicians whether they prefer McCain or Obama in the White House:

It’s an interesting watch because: 1) some Iraqis seem to know more about the US electoral process than do a lot of Americans, 2) Iraqis (at least the ones in the video) are split over whether Obama or McCain will win, and 3) Iraqis recognize the process of US engagement in Iraq is bigger than any one candidate.

They seem skeptical that a change in America’s leadership will change much of anything, and they share a nationalistic sentiment that any substantial progress is going to be a result of actions made by the Iraqi people, not the US – regardless of who’s leading it.